"I am pleased to report that the GCC Steering Committee and the FSF have approved the use of C++ in GCC itself. Of course, there's no reason for us to use C++ features just because we can. The goal is a better compiler for users, not a C++ code base for its own sake. Before we start to actually use C++, we need to determine a set of coding standards that will apply to use of C++ within GCC."

People have been complaining for a long time about GCC compilation speed, and they cheer every time it's sped up. And not just Gentoo users. Anyone who runs a compile farm for some reason or other will appreciate a fast compiler. (For instance, MetroLink had a compiler farm for their MetroX server and drivers.)